I’d like on this page to bellow an appreciative hooray to the life and career of Kym Ryan (1 April 1953 ~ 1 September 2006), a legendary force of rock ‘n’ roll cool. I was very fortunate to be gifted with Kym as a presenter when I produced shows for Pontypridd’s community access radio station GTFM in 2003~4. He was the coolest, funniest, wildest dude I ever met – an irrepressible showman and irreverent genius.
Since 2010, I have been administrating a Facebook page sharing and welcoming memories, photos and videos of the Rage in action, but I wanted to offer something untethered by social media, and so here we have it.
With thanks and love to the friends, authors, and talented artistes whose words and artwork I have respectfully purloined for what follows. Please get in touch if you would like to contribute or request alterations to this page.
“Kym Ryan was one of Ponty’s finest sons. He travelled the world as a fine musician and will be remembered by those who knew him as the greatest rocker of the valleys. Often found wearing his rosetinted sunglasses, he was a true character who was fondly regarded by all who met him.
He lived for his music, and was a vocalist for many bands including The Ragin’ Ryans, The Ministers, Rage ‘n’ Sage, The Ryan Giggs, Swing Gang, Stoned Soul Party and guest vocalist for Vipers. Kym also auditioned for legendary rock outfit Uriah Heep, but was too much for them to handle.
As many of you may know, Kym’s rockstar lifestyle began to catch up with him in late 2004, and he went into hospital for a period of time while he recovered. Following his discharge, Kym moved to Cardiff to be closer to his family and to experience life as a grandfather. Many of us lost touch with him during this time, but he would often be spotted in and around Cardiff and regards would be passed on by all.
The news of Kym’s death came as a shock to many who saw it as the loss of a ray of sunshine that beamed on everyone. He will be missed.
Kym is survived by his son Ben, daughter Samantha, and his grandchildren.
Rock on Baby!”
~ Obituary borrowed from the (now disappeared) website of Y Celteiddwyr, an Arts, Environmental and Conservation Group based in Pontypridd (author unknown).
“He was a great father who’ll be terribly missed by myself and my brother Ben and his grandchildren Isaac and Seb. Our dad was a big man with an exceptionally big heart. He loved and lived for music – we’ll miss him dearly. The news of his death came as a shock to many friends who saw it as ‘the loss of a ray of sunshine that beamed on everyone’.” ~ Kym’s daughter Sam Ryan.
‘I guess you had to be there…’ by swinGGang – originally released in 2001, and made available by Danny Chang on Bandcamp 20 years later – listen free, or download for £7.
Paying homage to early ’70s progressive jazz and blues as explored by bands such as Patto, this 8-track collection leaves a fabulous legacy to Kym who stated that it was the best album he recorded in his career.
Featuring Kym Ryan – vocals; Pete Hurley – five string bass; David Watkins – drums; Danny Chang – guitars; and Colin Edwards – keyboards. Produced by Danny Chang. Mixed by Rob Reed. Photographs by Dave Daggers. Concept and art work by Nigel Voyle.
After his death from natural causes, Kym’s funeral took place on 13 September at Thornhill Crematorium, followed by a celebration of his life reception at the District Club in Graigwen, Pontypridd. A tribute show was later broadcast on GTFM Radio.
For more information, please visit Tribute to Kym Ragin’ Ryan on Facebook.
Nice Adventures Productions 